Who looks the coolest...

[Steve Phelps (Shoeless)]

Maybe its the way they hold their sticks, or hit the drums. Maybe its a facial expression, head tilt or body position. Some people just "look" great regardless of what they are playing.

To me the list begins and ends with Stewart Copeland. I saw the Police live in twice in the '80's and he completely stole the show for me, and a lot of non-drummers said the same thing. He just looks like such a bad-ass. I so wanted to look like him when I played.

I also remember the guy from New Bohemians had this really fluid style, same with the guy from the Spin Doctors. They look like jazz guys playing popular rock.

Steve Smith looks really authoritative.
Carter Beauford looks like he's having a blast.

Bill Bruford has a great style, especially that wrist thing. He looks around and smiles while all his limbs are doing something different. He makes it look so easy...... smug bastard.

Peart always looks like he's hurting to me plus he has that "looking straight ahead, concentrating" look which I am guilty of.

Of course you can't beat Ringo when it comes to showmanship.

Then there's Moon...well.

Anyone else have thoughts?

What about the goofiest looking?
The guy from Loverboy comes to mind.

[silentbob]

I think Dave Grohl playing with Nirvana looked very cool playing drums.  He just bashed away and looked like he was having the best time ever.
I also think the drummer from the Strokes, Fab something, looks incredibly cool playing drums.
Well, the whole band just looks cool if you ask me. ;D

[smoggrocks]

apologies for the sizes, if indeed the pics show up, but imho, i'd want to look as cool as these chicks. tlc in particular, always seems as if she is always in command.

i also really liked elvin's facial expressions.

[incdrummer]

eric singer always looks relaxed

[Mark Schlipper]

Art Blakey and Elvin Jones always look to me like they are having the most fun of thier lives when they play.

[Jon E]

Here's the answer!

[JDrummys]

I thought Samantha Maloney looked really cool (and hot!) on the Motley Crue Live DVD- the way she lifts her left arm up high before each snare hit!

[mfran]

ah yes, the quiet cool that is Bun E!  

I grew up a heavy rocker, and remember fondly watching the frantic, incessant pushing of Clive Burr with Iron Maiden (I remember that whenever he hit the crash cymbal and bass drum particularly hard, his left foot would fly off the hi-hat pedal too!).  He made me want to play with more energy.


I saw Van Halen live, in David Lee Roth's day, and Dave liked to stop songs in the middle to say things to the audience, etc.  One day in May, around 1984, Dave was trying to stop the band to celebrate drummer Alex Van Halen's birthday.  The whole band stopped, but Alex, wearing his hearing protection, kept plowing through the song, those drums sounded great in the New Haven Coliseum!  It was funny to watch the band trying to get his attention after they stopped, it took a good 5 or ten seconds before he stopped playing.  Great look with the hearing protection though, he gave me the courage to wear my own protection!


One of the coolest drummers to watch was this man:


Watching Cozy Powell play with Rainbow, I loved his form.  The way he curled his wrists in after hitting a crash cymbal was so smooth, comfortable, almost textbook!  


Here's a shot of Deep Purple's Ian Paice doing the post-crash curl, another of my fav's


and watching Ian Paice do press rolls is a thing of beauty.


But if I had to pick just one drummer for sheer energy, joy of playing, posture, form and enthusiasm live:  

try and get ahold of Simon Phillips with the WHO, Tommy farewell number two in 1982 I think...

[Gretschn]

Ginger Baker looks pretty cool if you ask me.  Anyone who can smoke butts and wail away. Keith Moon always had this interesting grimmace on his face as well. I certainly agree with 563 as well about Blakey and Elvin. I like the guys who look like their girlfriend just cheated on them the best.

[Christopher]

Mr. Gadd wins the cool award in my book...



Cool as the other side of my pillow...

[Christopher]

What about the goofiest looking?

Although an awesome drummer and one of my favorites, Rod Morganstein makes the weirdest faces on the planet when he's playing.



This is tame compared to "live action" faces.

[ritarocks]

I like the way Carter chews gum at the same time.  8)

[ritarocks]

[orihood]

If looks decides the winner, then my vote goes for Samantha Maloney too! I have the same concert taped that's mentioned above. She's an awesome drummer and if you read her bio she's also well-schooled. Hard rock isn't the only style she plays......

[jesster]

I like the way Carter chews gum at the same time.  8)

Um...yeah...and the way he blows those bubbles...hell I can hardly blow bubbles that well when I'm just walking down the street :)

[incdrummer]

I saw Van Halen live, in David Lee Roth's day, and Dave liked to stop songs in the middle to say things to the audience, etc.  One day in May, around 1984, Dave was trying to stop the band to celebrate drummer Alex Van Halen's birthday.  The whole band stopped, but Alex, wearing his hearing protection, kept plowing through the song, those drums sounded great in the New Haven Coliseum!  It was funny to watch the band trying to get his attention after they stopped, it took a good 5 or ten seconds before he stopped playing.  Great look with the hearing protection though, he gave me the courage to wear my own protection!


One of the coolest drummers to watch was this man:


Watching Cozy Powell play with Rainbow, I loved his form.  The way he curled his wrists in after hitting a crash cymbal was so smooth, comfortable, almost textbook!  


Here's a shot of Deep Purple's Ian Paice doing the post-crash curl, another of my fav's


and watching Ian Paice do press rolls is a thing of beauty.


Yeah ive got footage of cozy and alex and they rock...seen Ian pay live and he also looks very comfy on the stool.

[random]

the coolest looking musician, in my opinion, would be brent mydland.  but since he's a keyboard player...  

favorite drummer to watch would be bill kreutzman.  he makes alot of funny faces when he plays.

[thealmightytaco]

Come on folks, Bonham! Bonham I say!!

[DoubleC]

I like the way Dennis Chambers and Tony Williams look when they play.  

They look cool, comfortable and relaxed.  

dc

[Bob Pettit]

Horacio Hernandez is so cool, he's as smooth as tequila milk shake.